Nikola Jokic injures knee in Nuggets' loss to Heat, MRI scheduled

Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic had to leave the game against Miami Heat on Monday night, after injuring his left knee just seconds before intermission.

He was injured while helping his teammate Spencer Jones defend a drive by a Miami player. Jones stepped on Jokic’s left foot and his knee buckled.

The video of the incident shows Jokic falling to the ground and later powering his way to the locker room. His MRI is scheduled for Tuesday.

Jokic did return to the court for the second half of the match which resulted in his team’s 147-123 loss to Miami.

Nuggets coach David Alderman said injuries were part of the NBA, adding: “We will move forward as a team.”

He added that it always hurts when somebody as special as Jokic gets injured: “I am more concerned about him as a person and the disappointment of going through something like that.”

Alderman said that although Jokic is a fan favourite and people want updates immediately but “we will go through the process properly, for him and for our team”.

Jokic was impressive in the first half of the game as he scored 21 points, 8 assists and 5 rebounds. If his injury forces him to rest for the next few games, it might prove to be a major blow for the Nuggets.